


To be an Angel by Lucifer

by crOwnlEssG



Series: Notes Tied to Balloons [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Family, Angel Siblings, Angelic Family, Angelic Siblings, Angels, Archangels, Brothers, Castiel's childhood, Castiel's fledglinghood, Childhood, Collection of stories, Creation, Eden - Freeform, Family, Fledgling!Cas, Fledglinghood, Fledglings, Gabriel - Freeform, Garden of Eden, Gen, Heaven, Notes Tied to Balloons, NttB, Pre-Series, Series: Notes Tied to Balloons, The Garden of Eden, Three chapters, To be an Angel, To be an Angel by Lucifer, ninth story, stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-19
Updated: 2013-06-29
Packaged: 2017-12-08 21:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/766451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crOwnlEssG/pseuds/crOwnlEssG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a fledgling, Castiel had a very big, very interesting family. Each story will stand on its own and will consist of three chapters. Final story's up: All great things come from humble beginnings. Humble beginnings become great things when someone believes in them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1st part

_Welcome to the planet_

_Welcome to existence_

_Everyone's here_

_Everybody's watching you now_

_Everybody waits for you now_

_What happens next_

_._

_Dare You to Move ~ Switchfoot_

* * *

It was pleasantly warm in the Hatchery, like the whole chamber was tucked underneath a soft, thick layer of feathers. Technically, the place was not called the Hatchery, not officially, since there were no actual eggs to be hatched, yet the name was somewhat appropriate so no one bothered to change it.

The Hatchery was in a perpetual state of dawn, as if it was to symbolize the welcoming of something new, as if the reign of cold nothingness was coming to an end and the gradual heat was affectionately tugging at life to just be.

All across the chamber, thousands of dimly glowing orbs were scattered and lying patiently. Each orb held a new angel inside, waiting to be fully formed and released into Heaven. These were to be the last – or perhaps one of the last – generation of angels. Lucifer had been told that God might make one final batch after this, but the matter remained uncertain.

Looking at the orbs, Lucifer noted that it would be almost time, that Heaven would rejoice in the arrival of the newest angels. He had lately been monitoring the conditions of the orbs, and by his calculations, they would be bursting fairly soon.

At this point, Lucifer had already passed by every orb at least three had been moments when he attempted to decipher a few orbs, like if he studied the light and contours long enough he might be able to have an idea of what and how some of his siblings might turn out to be, such as their name, the structure of their Grace, and their wings. However, all the orbs appeared the same to him, no matter how hard he scrutinized them and no matter what angle he viewed them from. It was as if God designed their outer casing to be a blank slate, purely uninteresting and exactly like the rest, so that they can make their own unique marks,and that their individual traits will be revealed overtime, slowly but surely, in a manner similar to an artist's deliberately precise strokes that would eventually show something magnificent.

Nonetheless, Lucifer was excited. He was looking at Heaven's future guardians, God's latest masterpieces, the most recent additions to his family.

Then he felt it; a fissure no bigger than a grain of salt. Barely a second later, that tiny crack spread, spider-webbing all throughout the Hatchery until every orb seemed more brittle than eggshells made from dandelion seeds. If Lucifer required to breathe, he would be holding his breath right about now in fear of accidentally ruining the process happening before him.

What came next took place at such an incredibly great speed that it was more fleeting than the beat of a hummingbird's wings. But through Lucifer's eyes, he can perceive every detail as if the Hatchery had been plunged into an intricate slow motion.

From each orb, a tiny dot of light burst out and shot upward like a jet of fire eagerly and proudly erupting from the surface of the sun. Every dot shone in a different color and radiated in its own unique frequency of light; these were the angels in their purest, most basic form. The dots, for the most part, were featureless.

They had no wings yet since the whole of Heaven was lending its blessing to them, infusing them with the strength of floating and soaring. Their wings would become apparent as soon as they had harnessed enough energy, much like a baby animal being able to feed on solid food after it had bolstered itself from its mother's milk.

Their faces were also not visible as they had yet to adjust and develop in their new surroundings. They did not know what to expect, what they had to do, how they should act, so they remained blank for now. In due time, they will evolve, like how some creatures evolved on Earth to better suit their environment. The face – or oftentimes _faces_ – of an angel would be dependent on their personality and behavior, so that will be a very careful process.

What was more, their release into Heaven was silent; no roar of joy, no whoosh of purpose, no tinkling of little voices murmuring their first words. The spectacle occurred in absolute quiet, for the angels had no knowledge of sound yet; they had not heard anything during their first few moments of existence.

In spite of that fact, the brilliance of the Hatchery at this very instant rivaled that of the universe and all its vastly twinkling stars. For Lucifer, witnessing the creation of his siblings was far more grandiose than staring at the wonders of the galaxy, because unlike the stars and the planets, the lights here were _truly_ alive.

His newest siblings rose higher and higher in an instinctive urge to remove themselves from the Hatchery, see Heaven, and accustom themselves to their home. They will fly along the ether of Heaven for a while, exploring and learning and growing, until they deem themselves ready to officially join their older siblings.

With pride swelling in his Grace, Lucifer watched as his brothers and sisters whizzed out of the Hatchery. He prayed they would serve God well and bring righteous honor to the cause.

He was about to depart when he noticed something at the corner of his vision. Lucifer turned and was surprised to see that there was a dot of light on the floor, struggling to get into the air. As he approached it, he realized that it was one of the newly-created angels, a sibling left behind by the rest. The dot of light was blue, although instead of being cool and shining like the reflection of the sky on a still ocean, it was pale and wavering.

Its light was flickering erratically, as if it had trouble keeping itself bright. It made no noise but it sent out waves of sorrow and fear at being alone. The blue light shifted to a certain angle, and Lucifer had to guess that it was looking up at where the rest of its kind was zooming in freedom.

Somewhat motivated, or distressed, the blue light tried to fly, yet all it ever managed to achieve was to shakily hover a short distance from the floor and then fall back down. This continued for a few times, and with every desperate attempt, Lucifer found himself pitying first moments of an angel's life should be a momentous, happy occasion; it should not be spent in frailty and despair.

The blue light gave a couple of more attempts, with each weaker and more pathetic than the last, until what little strength it had to begin with ran out. The blue light tilted itself upward as its siblings finally disappeared from view, and for a minute, the blue light became motionless, like it registered that it had been forgotten and was at a loss at what to do. It emitted more waves of distress, as if in an effort to call out to them, to come back so it would not be alone anymore, but its pleas went unnoticed by them.

Though now exhausted, the blue light endeavored to crawl, dragging itself across the floor with as much determination as a sick newborn catching up to the herd. It did not take long for it to deplete its energy and stop moving. Its glow sputtered alarmingly, nearly going out, and it would seem that the little thing was close to dying. Despite its feeble state, the blue light tried to call out one last time, still holding onto the hope that it would be heard. When no one returned, the blue light started to fade and become dimmer…

Without thinking, Lucifer snatched the blue light off the floor and held it near his Grace so that it may sustain itself from a fraction of his was going against a number of rules. Older angels should not interfere with their newly-created brothers and sisters on their first days;they needed to develop on their own without being influenced by others. Regardless, Lucifer cannot bring himself to simply watch as his sibling slowly perished in front of him.

The blue light was so small in Lucifer's hand that even a slight fold might crush he studied his sibling, Lucifer wondered why it had been brought into existence in such a miserable condition. In all his millennia of watching his family, this was the first time he had ever encountered a situation that involved a straggler. Was this blue light, in some obscure purpose or another,God's first fledgling death? Or was this blue light simply a late bloomer? For his sibling's sake, Lucifer hoped it was the latter.

With the blue light in his hand, Lucifer could feel it tremble since it was still reeling from an overwhelming amount of emotions:terror, confusion, sadness, anguish.

He thought about putting it back on the floor and leaving it; if it was God's will that this angel would die prematurely, then Lucifer had no right to contradict that. Besides, he had broken enough rules by simply approaching this newly-created sibling. As an archangel, he had to set an example to the other angels, teach them the value of following orders and –

Lucifer almost laughed. He was starting to sound like Michael.

Obviously, he was going to do the right thing, and the right thing just so happened to be breaking another rule.

He took off to his private chambers, carrying the blue light with him.

O_x

In the far reaches of the archangels' domain was Lucifer's territory, which glowed so brightly it was as if every inch of his abode had been constructed from a million stars clustered tightly together. And yet everything was dull in comparison to the Morningstar himself, who shone more intensely than any other light source God created. Here, light was under Lucifer's command, for no matter what form it manifested into, his sheer radiance cannot be matched.

Lucifer placed the blue light – whom he had nicknamed Blue, for the meantime – in a sort of nest that was assembled from the warmest, most tender rays of sunshine and the beautifully amusing glitter of fireflies. Thankfully, Blue had stopped flickering like it was about to go out. Nevertheless, Blue appeared a long way off from fine; its glow was weak and it no longer possessed the will to move, which worried Lucifer greatly.

He tried to carefully nudge it using his Grace, copying a tactic he had seen some animals do when their young was unresponsive. Lucifer did this for a few times until Blue's apparent fragility finally concerned him enough to stop provoking his new sibling too much, lest he accidentally damaged him… or her.

Afterward, Lucifer took the barest smidgeon of his Grace from his form and put it in the 'nest' in case Blue required energy, nourishment of some kind. But despite the fact that the bit of Grace was right next to it, Blue did not so much as shy away or twitch in surprise.

Anxiety filling him up, Lucifer plucked a feather from his wings and placed it in the 'nest' as well, in the chance that Blue might view the foreign object with curiosity and be interested to examine it. Again, Blue did not react.

To make matters worse, he heard the telltale wings of Gabriel as he approached Lucifer's chambers, unpronounced and without permission as always.

"Hey, Luci! I've been practicing that duplication thing and I think – " Gabriel stopped talking immediately when he registered that Lucifer was up to something.

Gabriel grinned impishly. "What'cha got there?" he asked, and every syllable implied that he wanted nothing more than to bother his older brother to the point where he would snap.

While Gabriel was by no means renowned for his rational thinking or extraordinary intelligence, Lucifer was well aware that his brother could pick out a message from the smallest details. The slightest movement might as well have been an entire narrative for him since God had imbued him with a keen sense of discernment – perhaps too keen.

However, Lucifer dared to step forward, thereby blocking Blue from Gabriel's sight but informing him anyway that he was concealing something. Knowing Gabriel's brash personality, it was for the best that he knew he was being kept away rather than having him wreck the whole place because he wanted to find out what was going on. At least with this tactic, Gabriel might be a bit more cautious, and for the sake of the weak sibling under Lucifer's protection, he _better_ be cautious.

"None of your business, Gabriel." said Lucifer.

The words came out as a threat, yet to Gabriel it sounded like an invitation. He snickered and zoomed forward, right at Lucifer, seemingly with the intention to knock him over.

Lucifer fired a might blast of energy at him, and if he had been aiming at anyone lower than the rank of an archangel, they would surely be immensely wounded, or even killed. For Gabriel, the most severe effect on him would be a very, very painful stun that should immobilize him for a few Earth hours, maybe a complete Earth day if Raphael was getting annoyed by him again.

Quicker than a bolt of lightning, Gabriel dodged the first blast quite easily. Lucifer hurled another blast at him, then another, and another, and another… yet his brother proved too elusive to hit. Gabriel made sharp turns as he flew sideways, rose in complex circles only to dive back down when least expected, zigzagged so rapidly that he would be a blur to a common angel's eyes. And all throughout the chase, Gabriel's mischievous laughter was there to taunt him.

Despite the chaos, Lucifer refused to leave his spot. If he did, Gabriel might be able to snatch Blue away and do God-knows-what with it.

"I'm not leaving 'til you tell me what you're hiding!" said Gabriel. He was flying in a complex, haphazard spiral and not a single one of Lucifer's blasts had even grazed the edges of his wings. Of course, Lucifer had to hold back somewhat; he had no wish to frighten the sibling he was guarding. He was by no means getting sloppy with his aim.

"If you don't get out right now – " Lucifer did not manage to finish his sentence as Gabriel unexpectedly rushed up at him, inciting such a forceful gust of wind that got his wings in a ruffle. It caused him to be distracted for a split-second, but that was enough for Gabriel to get right in front of him. Acting quickly, Lucifer projected a huge globe of energy and sent it at Gabriel.

The globe of energy passed through him and the form of his brother wavered, before eventually disappearing with a wink.

He _did_ mention he had been practicing his duplication trick.

Lucifer wanted to kick himself. Then punch Gabriel so hard that he would cause a tear in the fabric of this dimension.

Just as expected, when Lucifer had recovered, Gabriel – the real one – had reached Blue's 'nest.' "Ooohh, Michael's gonna be _so_ pissed when he finds out you're keeping a newborn here." he said, grinning in delight at the prospect of Michael yelling at Lucifer with the force of a supernova.

"Don't you dare!" Lucifer made a move to grab Gabriel but his brother whooshed out of his reach, taking the 'nest' with Blue in it with him.

"Were you actually jealous of all the animals getting busy on Earth?" he mocked.

Hurling more energy blasts at Gabriel was not an option since he had Blue in such close proximity. The sole course of action Lucifer had was to lunge at him, which resulted in a very awkward, very terrifying chase. It was terrifying because the velocity they were both exerting showed just how much power they can casually discharge. And it was awkward, even degrading, because two archangels – Heaven's most admirable warriors and God's fiercest creations – were basically engaged in a game of catch.

"I've always said you've got feminine tendencies, but now you're really _such a girl_!" Gabriel teased.

Lucifer stretched toward Gabriel; Gabriel plunged downward and navigated his way near the floor like a deranged tuna. Lucifer swerved to the right and descended, planning to collide; Gabriel laughed and darted out of Lucifer's range just barely in the nick of time. He bounced the 'nest' from one hand to another while flying as if he was holding nothing more than a play thing. Lucifer swooped down on him but Gabriel rolled elegantly away and got more altitude in between them.

His younger brother cackled in amusement as he flew farther. "Is Mommy Luci getting slow in her age? Aww, did Mommy Luci want to have her own bundle of – ?"

All of a sudden, with his attention fixed on what was behind him, he crashed into Lucifer, and as the 'nest' slipped away from him upon impact, Gabriel realized that Lucifer had tricked him using the illusion he had invented. Apparently, a fake-Lucifer had been tailing him for quite some time, herding him toward a trap.

Lucifer smirked as he caught the 'nest' and watched Gabriel crumble before him, moaning and coming up with what he called 'curse words.' The fake-Lucifer vanished just as when the real Lucifer crouched down to Gabriel's level.

"Am I interrupting family-bonding time?" he said, cracking a smile despite the blow he had obtained.

"If you ever mention this to Michael, I am trapping you under a burning sea of ice." threatened Lucifer as he hid Blue in the safety of his wings.

Gabriel's eyes widened and his posture became rigid. "There's no such thing!" he exclaimed.

"Father recently created a planet composed of seventy-eight burning seas." said Lucifer.

For a while, Gabriel stared Lucifer down, as if he could bring his brother's words to light and prove them to be a huge chunk of lies. Unfortunately for him, Lucifer showed no signs of cracking; in fact, he stared back at him with a look of pure, smug honesty.

Gabriel slumped in defeat and acceptance. "So… what's the deal?" he asked, gesturing at Lucifer's back where Blue was.

"The little one is having a tough time adjusting to life." Lucifer slowly replied, considering his words prudently.

"Sucks." muttered Gabriel. Then, he perked up. "It got a name yet?"

There was a second wherein Lucifer wanted to say 'Blue,' but he knew Gabriel would either laugh at him or judge him severely at the ridiculous simplicity of it (and he would certainly use that to annoy and tease him for the next decade or two) so he opted to say, "It's still not communicating."

In truth, angels named themselves, or at least the name God had given them was imprinted deep within their Grace. In order to access their name, a newly-created angel, like Blue, had to be conscious enough to grasp that it needed to form a sense of identity, conscious enough to understand that it was alive and it had to think. They would have to, literally and metaphorically, look inside themselves to learn who they were supposed to be. For Blue, that potential still seemed unlikely.

"Well, in case it can't come up with anything, let's go with Blinky McSparky-Doodle!" said Gabriel cheerfully.

Lucifer shot him an exasperated glare.

"What? I don't see _you_ coming up with anything." reacted Gabriel.

"This is our brother, or sister; not a pet." reasoned Lucifer, and he wrapped his wings around Blue a little more as if that can shield it from Gabriel's misguided intentions.

"You ever considered that I might actually _want_ a brother or sister named Blinky McSparky-Doodle?" commented Gabriel.

Sometimes Lucifer wondered why God had made Gabriel an _archangel_ in the first place. "You are a horrible example of an older brother." he said.

"I'd make an awesome big brother!" Gabriel defended, wings flaring up in an attempt to make himself appear more remarkable.

"Blinky McSparky-Doodle is not only blasphemous, it's also guaranteed to doom him, or her, to eternal shame. Plus, he, or she, will hate you until the end of time." said Lucifer.

"What? I care about individuality! I think Dad pretty much used up all the names that end in _–el_ , and if I ha– "

"Don't you have any duties to perform?" Lucifer cut in.

Gabriel was silent for a moment. "…no."

"Gabriel,"

"Aw, come on! Playing secretary to Dad is _so boring_!" he whined.

Lucifer got up and towered over his little brother. "You either flap out of here or I'm blasting you out… again." he said.

Groaning and unnecessarily dragging his wings on the floor, Gabriel lethargically exited Lucifer's chamber. "You're an ass." he grumbled.

"I love you, too." said Lucifer.

Before Gabriel fully ventured outside, Lucifer called after him, "Oh and remember, if you ever tell anyone about this, especially Michael, I am dunking you in the burning sea of ice, all seventy-eight of them!"

Gabriel forcefully turned around, his expression a mixture of outrage and incredulity. "Sheesh. Motherhood is making you cranky." he said.

Lucifer retaliated by sending a blast of energy at him, which Gabriel avoided.

"Ha! Missed!" he proclaimed.

Another energy blast. This time, it hit its target squarely on his face and propelled him a significant distance.

With Gabriel no longer in his chambers (but letting a stream of garbled obscenities spill from his mouth in frustration outside), Lucifer chuckled and finally allowed himself to relax. He took Blue out of the cover of his wings and was surprised to see that Blue's light was pulsating like a heartbeat. This was not like before, when Blue's light was dangerously flickering out; here, Blue was somewhat more vigorous, like it was motivated to live again.

What happened to cause Blue to act this way, not that Lucifer was complaining. He doubted that it was due to his wings since he had not felt Blue sip away the tiniest fraction of his power. He also doubted that Blue had gotten some rest while inside the 'nest' because Gabriel had tossed it around a number of times during the previous chase. No one could have possibly been well-rested after that.

Was it because of Gabriel, or his upbeat personality? Was it because he and Gabriel fought, made fun of one another, and had a slightly senseless conversation, which turned out to be the first words and sentences Blue had ever heard in its existence?

Or was it because Blue had been exposed to a slice of what brotherhood was like, what being a sibling and having a sibling was like?

Lucifer fondly studied Blue and became convinced that that had to be the answer.

Perhaps it was time to show his sibling what being an angel was like.

TBC


	2. 2nd part

_From the day we arrive on the planet_

_And, blinking, step into the sun_

_There's more to see than can ever be seen_

_More to do than can ever be done_

_._

_Circle of Life ~ The Lion King_

* * *

The light of his newly-created sibling was not getting any brighter.

Lucifer had taken Blue to all the places in Heaven where he thought would be interesting to a creature as young as the one he was cradling. He brought Blue to the Prism Brooks, which was a living rainbow that gave birth to every color that shall ever be known in creation. He took Blue to the Silver Archives, a place which recorded all the life forms that had ever been conceived by God, and with each of them crafted out of liquid, three-dimensional silver. He took his sibling to the Hall of Hushed Crystals, a location where immense crystal shards grew and offered angels a site to help them clear their minds and reflect. Lucifer even brought them to the doors that led into God's throne room, in the hope that the residual presence of their Father would be enough to get a reaction from Blue.

Throughout that time, there had been no change in Blue. For now, Lucifer was just thankful that his sibling's condition was not deteriorating again; its light was weak but steady, its manifestation was still a bit too frail but Blue clung onto life.

As Lucifer continued to scour Heaven for its more fascinating areas, he began stroking Blue while it was settled within his hand. He had forgotten the reason behind the gesture. Was he doing this to console his sibling, to rouse it from its unresponsiveness? Or was he doing this to reassure himself, that he might defy the odds and keep Blue from fading away?

Then, for an instant, he felt the blue light shine a tad brighter.

Lucifer stopped and looked down. The glow Blue was currently emitting was the same, and it still was not moving in the slightest. Yet Lucifer was sure that he had not been mistaken; as the _Lightbringer_ , he should know, and Blue had definitely glimmered in excitement.

He studied their surroundings and saw that the only remarkable object in sight was a lonely little gateway made out of wood and flowering vines: the passage to Earth. God had recently created it, so just a handful of angels were permitted to pass through that threshold, primarily because Heaven needed to be constructed properly first, which required inhabitants populating and shaping it. In time, the gateway will be obliterated and every angel would be given unlimited access to their Father's latest kingdom.

Lucifer flew back until they were directly in front of the gateway, wanting to check if this was what truly got Blue interested. He looked down once more and was rather surprised to find his sibling's light had become brighter, if only for a fraction. The blue glow beat faintly like the pulse of a creature getting stronger with every labored breath.

This was odd. Why would a barely-formed fledgling suddenly find the Earth appealing? Admittedly, Earth was a grand creation; however, an angel preferring Earth over Heaven had never been encountered… until now. Except for Michael, Lucifer was older than all of his brothers and sisters, and he had observed that every new fledgling always explored and learned about Heaven before even acknowledging the Earth. This made Blue an absolute rarity.

Staring at his tiny sibling, Lucifer knew that he would have to choose between two options: stay in Heaven and try to find something else that will elicit a reaction from Blue, which would keep it in a protected, stable environment. Or go through the gateway, risk the safety of an already vulnerable fledgling, and probably break a couple of more rules along the way, all for the sake of a dying sibling's curiosity.

Lucifer practically blew the doors to Earth apart as he left Heaven. He wondered why he even hesitated in the first place.

O_x

Eden was beautiful. There was simply no other way to put it. The air was alive with the scent of flowers blooming in the meadows that stretched as far as the horizon, fruits that were so succulently ripe that the trees and vines they hung from seemed generous and proud to offer them to the world, and the sweet melody of birdsong that was similar to the simplified tune of a choir of angels.

The grass was lush and soft enough to tempt even the angels to lie down and abandon their duties for a moment. Animals skittered, ran, leapt, crawled, and soared throughout the garden with vibrant energy, breathing air into their lungs, which was amazing to behold. The lakes and rivers glittered under a magnificently blue sky, and the sun bathed the land in a kind of warmth that made every creature thankful to be in existence.

Lucifer smiled as he remembered why the Earth was such a glorious place; perhaps Eden's splendor will inspire Blue to embrace the possibilities of life. He held his sibling up close and discovered that its light was much brighter than it had ever been in Heaven. There was definite improvement, yet its radiance remained far too dim for Lucifer's liking.

"Would you like to fly, little one?" Lucifer whispered into his hand. "Fly? Take to the air and go wherever you want?"

He was not expecting much of a response, or anything honestly, but Blue gave a twitch, a twitch that, if examined very meticulously, resembled a feeble turn toward Lucifer. Blue was actually listening to him; more importantly, Blue wanted to fly.

"Go on. Get up." encouraged Lucifer. He raised his hand higher so that Blue would see more of the vast, open skies.

He felt Blue twitch a bit more, as if uneasy or frightened that it had to leave Lucifer and figure out for itself what had to be done next.

"Just fly."

There was a brief, tiny tremble from his hand. Then, after a second, Blue was shakily fluttering away, which prompted Lucifer to grin in triumphant relief. The flight was ungraceful and erratic, although Lucifer could excuse that because at least his sibling was finally progressing.

Unfortunately, his elation lasted roughly three seconds because, all of a sudden, Blue wavered and dropped out of the air. Lucifer was quick enough to catch his sibling before it hit the ground. He held Blue for quite a while, muttering soft nonsense into his hand and wrapping the terrified fledgling in a thin layer of his Grace.

"It's alright, it's alright. Calm down. You're safe. I got you, you're alright." murmured Lucifer.

Blue's light was flickering again, like it was quivering in pure horror of what had occurred, like it was crying because of how beyond scared it was. Blue was not as bright anymore either; its radiance appeared, once more, on the verge of being extinguished.

As Lucifer sat down on the grassy field, he warmed Blue with his Grace in an effort to comfort it. Maybe this was not such a good idea after all. Blue was dangerously fragile, and the mere act of hovering a few inches was a seemingly impossible challenge. Fledglings were not even supposed to venture out of Heaven, most especially the newly-created ones. Like chicks in a nest, they were not prepared to face the world, they were not equipped to adjust readily to a place that was not home.

A breeze entered the field and a neighboring collection of dandelions had their seeds blown to the canopies. Consequentially, a thought wandered into Lucifer's mind and he carefully revealed Blue to the peaceful scene in front of them.

"You're alive." he stated quietly. "You're alive and some day you will grow up to be a brilliant angel. You are a marvel of creation, never forget that."

Blue's irregular flickering slowed down.

"With conscious life comes the power and blessing of will. Do you know what 'will' means?" asked Lucifer.

In a sort of response, Blue stopped panicking and shivering.

"It means the drive to do something. The desire for things to happen; the determination to bring change and miracles." Lucifer explained. A dandelion seed drifted by Blue, and it was both amusing and disheartening to see that Blue was the smaller of the two. "And as an angel, you can do so many amazing things. You can shape the mountains, shine brighter than the stars, move at incredible speeds, connect to every form of life and know its story, watch the most intricate details reveal themselves to you…"

Lucifer had to put a halt to his words when he became aware that he was leaving out a very important bit of information. "But the will of an angel is not without restrictions. Our will isn't exercised out of freedom, not entirely. Though our power is immeasurable, we have to abide by the rules designed specifically for us by the Father. We are able to carry out the greatest and most extraordinary of deeds, however we must do so while following the path set out for us." he clarified. He caught a hint of sorrow in his voice but Blue was oblivious to it.

"I pray you may have fantastic accomplishments in the future." said Lucifer, putting on a more hopeful impression.

To his astonishment, Blue moved. It was not the usual twitch or a trivial shift to one side; Blue's form actually _flexed_ and _stretched_. In that instant, the blue spark he held had the motivation to move again, to explore and try out its potential, to live and _do something_.

The moment lasted for barely a heartbeat and Blue was immobile once more. Lucifer thought that that would be the end of it, albeit a honeybee flew by and captured his sibling's attention. Blue leaned toward the direction the bee went, stopping when it reached the edge of Lucifer's hand. For some reason, Blue considered the insect to be fascinating, so much that Blue half-fluttered, half-jumped off Lucifer's hand to pursue it.

There was one worrying second when Blue disappeared from view, since the fledgling was so small that even a couple of blades of grass were enough to conceal it. Then, there was a faint rustle coming from the ground and eventually Blue came floating awkwardly above the grass. Blue hovered in the air for a short while before tumbling to the soil, only to then resurface few inches further away.

This continued for some time, with Blue clumsily plopping along the grass to catch up with the bee and very gradually wandering deeper into Eden. At the pace his sibling was going, Lucifer did not have to stand up immediately just to keep a vigilant eye on it. Though soon the shadows of the trees obscured Blue's frail glow and Lucifer knew he had to make sure it did not hurt itself or land into any trouble.

Lucifer was by no means complaining; on the contrary, he was elated and thanking God with his entire being that Blue was moving, and even technically flying, for such a considerable period. Yet in spite of this remarkable development, Lucifer could not help but wonder how, of all things in creation, a measly honeybee managed to bring forth such a receptive, positive response from Blue. Maybe it was because of the funny noise it made, or the vivid selection of colors it wore. Maybe it smelled of honey and flowers, or maybe Blue found the bee exciting simply because it was a bee.

It was not difficult to locate Blue, although judging by its seemingly confused flitting about, Lucifer could tell that his sibling had lost the bee's trail and was now struggling to determine where it ought to go next. A pair of mice unexpectedly scurried along the forest floor and caught Blue's focus, prompting it to follow them instead. The mice made their way to the base of a maple tree and gathered at the spot where the nuts had fallen. Squirrels and hedgehogs were also present there and the animals ate their fill of the acorns in peace, occasionally squeaking and grunting and chirruping in contentment.

Blue had caught up with the mice and almost appeared stunned at the scene ahead, as if the fledgling had never encountered so many creatures before. Wary not to scatter the animals with his imposing presence, Lucifer gingerly approached the site to get a better look of what Blue might do.

At first, Blue was hesitant, uncertain of what to make of the animals in front of it. Then a nut fell from the tree and landed beside Blue. A squirrel soon went to the fresh acorn and Blue nervously crept away. As if the squirrel detected a presence retreating, it cautiously sniffed the air and cheeped a few times, like it was soothing Blue and saying that it meant the angel no harm. Of course, none of the animals can ever really see the forms of angels, but every so often they can sense an aura that was not a part of this dimension.

Reassured somehow, Blue tentatively edged closer until Lucifer was sure his sibling was within the range of the squirrel's breathing. More acorns tumbled along the right side of the tree and the squirrels scampered toward that direction. While doing so, one of the squirrels brushed its fluffy tail against Blue, or at least the spot where Blue was. Aside from not being able to see angels, animals cannot also physically interact with them; the most that squirrel probably felt from Blue was an insignificant tingle, a sensation to be forgotten the second its paws wrapped around another nut.

Blue, meanwhile, appeared ecstatic about the encounter since its light was blinking zealously. Lucifer realized that that was the first time Blue had touched a genuine animal and the experience must have been thrilling for it. The squirrels squeaked, cheeped, and nibbled on acorns in their own little territory but did little else and soon Blue's attention returned to the mice.

A mouse broke away from the group and skittered off into the bushes and Blue, in its own inept method of flying, went after it. As the fledgling gave chase, Lucifer curiously noted that the size of Blue's form was getting bigger, not considerably, but expanding nonetheless. When Lucifer found his sibling, having lost the animal it had been tracking yet again, he was delighted to see that Blue's size can now be compared to a very tiny pebble. It was not much, but Lucifer was happy with the growth.

Since the mouse was gone, Blue drifted underneath the cover of a mushroom. Though Blue did not have a face yet or projected any complex thoughts, a feeling of awe radiated from the fledgling. The mushroom fascinated it, the grass and leaves fascinated it, the whole garden fascinated it; wonder and curiosity illuminated Blue like pieces of the sun shining on a clear surface of water.

"What a peculiar thing you are," commented Lucifer. Heaven could not get this reaction from it; why did Earth succeed?

Eventually, Blue found its way to a bed of white flowers which, for Blue's size, might as well be another forest. For a while, there was no sign of his sibling, and just as Lucifer considered perusing the dainty stalks, Blue slowly reappeared on the leaf of a flower and continued to inch upward like an eager caterpillar. Blue kept climbing until it reached the flower itself. Presumably tired, Blue nestled into the cushiony middle of the flower and wrapped itself with petals and pollen.

A butterfly flitted above Blue and Blue responded by flexing again, stretching as if the limbs that were not yet developed can attempt to touch the creature. On a mound not too far away, a jaguar came up to greet the day with a powerful roar. The sound was so tremendous that Blue shrank back in fright; Lucifer picked his sibling up and decided that they should go someplace else.

There was a river on the other side of the trees, a portion of Eden where the larger animals had not discovered so far. Quicker than a blink, Lucifer and Blue were at the riverbank and their arrival – or the archangel's anyway – sent a gust of wind throughout the area, rustling the surrounding foliage.

"Alright, what can we do here?" Lucifer asked no one in particular.

He looked around for anything remotely interesting, and preferably new, that would get Blue active again. There were trees, but the birds and monkeys that usually resided in them were momentarily gone. Deep in the soil were worms and beetles but Lucifer did not want Blue going underground any time soon.

He then felt Blue's light pulsating beneath his hands in a manner that suggested his sibling was directing Lucifer to something. Opening his hands, Blue drifted out like a glittering dust particle that was caught in the breeze and swirled downward to the part where the water lapped at the earth.

Initially, Lucifer thought that Blue wanted to try its luck on swimming (which would make it even more peculiar than it already was). Although he later learned that Blue was transfixed by the fishes nipping at algae in the shallows. They were not the most astounding of fish; they had a dull gray hue and lived out their lives staring at the rocks that had rolled into the bottom of the river. Nonetheless, Blue wanted to examine them closer.

To make the matter more fun, Lucifer found a leaf that was spacious enough to accommodate Blue, gently placed it on the water, and put his sibling on the leaf. As a being of pure, supernatural light and energy, Blue did not weigh anything so the leaf should have no problem floating… unless Blue accidentally discovered how to spark a fire, which was, though unlikely, still probable to happen.

The wind picked up and the leaf Blue was on set off into the river. Blue quickly blinked its light a couple of times in alarm, or maybe in excitement – it was hard to tell since Blue had no facial expressions, and the two emotions were so similar that it was tricky to differentiate them in this situation. Regardless, Blue's agitation melted away when a school of fish was swimming beneath the leaf.

Blue went to the edge of the leaf to get a better look at the fishes. One of them swam so close to the surface that its fins were almost out of the water; Blue's light shone brighter in amazement. However, the fishes propelled themselves faster and were out of Blue's range in less than half a minute.

With the current taking the leaf farther, Lucifer meandered along the riverbank to check how his sibling was doing. As an archangel, he was outstandingly huge and powerful, and if he simply wanted to keep track of Blue he can stay in one spot. Even while sitting down, he can see exactly where the river began, where it would end, and all its hidden twists and turns in between. And if he wanted to monitor Blue closer, he can merely use his mind's eye to watch over the fledgling. But Lucifer refused to sit down from afar; he cared too much about Blue's safety.

Blue's radiance had dimmed slightly, like it was sad that the gray fishes had gone. The leaf floated into the dark part of the river, where the canopies were so thick that they prevented much of the sunlight from penetrating. There were also large boulders near the shore so that whatever scant light had made it through the trees were still cut off from the ground. Shadows clothed the river and, apparently, Blue disliked the darkness. It moved to the center of the leaf and huddled in on itself; waves of distress emanated from Blue and Lucifer could almost feel it calling out for him specifically.

Before he could reach out to his sibling, a firefly emerged from the trees and opportunely decided to land on Blue's leaf. Blue stopped moving at its arrival, though unsure what to make of the creature. Lucifer chuckled softly; Blue must be wondering why the firefly was glowing. From what Blue had observed recently, animals did not glow, and to have one twinkling in front of it must be confusing for it. Lucifer wished Blue already knew how to talk; it would be so much more convenient to hear Blue's actual opinions.

What happened next did not involve Blue uttering its first words. What happened next was Blue blinking, not its light, but its _eyes_. Two pinpricks of the most dazzling blue, as if the color of sapphires had been intensified tenfold and was blended with the twilight sky, sparkled visibly on the fledgling's form. Now, Blue was truly staring at the firefly, and its eyes were widening in enthrallment.

Like that was not enough progress, Blue attempted to communicate with the firefly, strangely, by chirruping. The sound resembled – no, it was exactly the sound the squirrel from earlier had made. Blue was only repeating a sound it had previously heard, storing the vibrations within itself for future application when it managed to figure out a suitable use for it, sort of like a tool. It seemed that Blue's real voice will not be heard until some time, which was a shame. Nevertheless, this showed that Blue was learning from the world in its own odd methods.

Lucifer sensed a group of angels approaching the area even before they crossed into the territory of Eden. Not wanting to be disturbed or noticed, Lucifer cloaked his and Blue's signature and waited for them to pass by overhead. They appeared a second later, fourteen of them, and they were all medium- to moderately high-ranking angels, suggesting that they were not performing an ordinary patrol. They had an assignment to complete, and if that particular assignment required this many angels, then it would have to be something important.

On its gently floating leaf, Blue saw the angels zooming spectacularly through the clouds and got excited, if also a tad intimidated. Even for someone as young as Blue, knowing that a being was an angel was an instinctive comprehension, like how a baby animal can recognize its own kind.

After the group had flown off, Blue stared at their trail with longing in its newly-created eyes. It tried to fly again, exerting so much effort into the act that Blue appeared to be on the brink of exploding, yet failed and ended up plopping into the river. Lucifer rescued Blue before his sibling became fully submerged.

"At least now I know where your front is." commented Lucifer genially. "And I'd know if you're ignoring me or not."

Blue looked up at him and said nothing.

There was a nest hidden in a shrub, located a considerable distance away and which Lucifer spotted with his enhanced vision. The eggs had already hatched and the birds had flown away a few days ago, leaving just eggshells and down feathers in the humble nest. He flew them over to the site anyway because Blue might be interested; plus, it was best to keep moving in order to elude the patrolling angels' attention.

It would have been nice if Blue witnessed the hatching process of birds, since his sibling would not only gain a bit of understanding on life, but be encouraged as well. If God had went through the effort of providing a bird everything it would ever require to live properly – organs, feathers, wings, eyes, the ability of flight – then an angel like Blue ought to be much more blessed.

Lucifer placed Blue into the empty nest to see if it would do anything. At first, the fledgling did nothing, not even look around the pile of sticks and twigs. Then Blue slowly inched forward, inquisitive, perhaps drawn by the slightly familiar pull of being in a place where creatures with wings were brought into existence. Broken pieces of eggshells and puffy white feathers littered the nest; Lucifer soon learned that this had been a dove's nest, and that four chicks had hatched here.

A fragment of an eggshell, still mostly whole, blocked Blue's path of exploring the remainder of nest. Instead of going around it, Blue tried to touch it, as if it distantly remembered that it, too, had emerged from some type of casing not too long ago. Although Blue's incorporeal, infantile form made it barely possible for the fledgling to deal any noticeable effects to the shell.

Blue continued investigating and eventually bumped into one of the feathers left behind by the previous inhabitants. What made the feather fascinating was that it originated from one of the chicks; it was soft and pure, but not appropriate for flying. Generally, the feather was like Blue, for it symbolized the potential of reaching the sky though not the capacity to do so, at least not yet. Throughout the chick's life, its down feathers will grow out to be replaced by mature flight feathers, and only then will it be capable of taking to the air and seeing the world.

Perhaps the feather appealed to Blue, or perhaps it grasped the object's representation; either way, Blue approached the feather and nuzzled itself against the delicate material. It was cute and weird at the same time, albeit it was mostly weird. Nonetheless, as Blue did so, its size began to grow again, so Lucifer did not stop it.

"You'll fly soon enough." he said softly.

He felt a ripple across the sky and, for an instant, he thought that the angels were coming back. However, when Lucifer glanced upward, he was greeted by the sight of a group of white doves encircling the perimeter. Two of the birds in the formation were the chicks that were once helpless in the nest, though now they were flying proudly with their own kind. The doves' collective coos can be heard all the way down, which brought Blue's attention to the clouds.

Lucifer directed Blue to the doves soaring above them. "See that? That's what unity is all about." he said.

Blue's light flickered very briefly, as if acknowledging Lucifer's words.

"'Unity' means parts forming a whole… individual beings coming together to achieve something." explained Lucifer. "Remember when I told you about 'will'? How an angel like yourself can do many great things?"

Blue did not make a sound, but its eyes showed that it was listening.

"It's true a single angel can achieve so much. But when we work together with our brothers and sisters, we can fulfill impossible deeds." said Lucifer. "As an angel, you must know that you are never alone when carrying out a duty. We function best as a whole because we are made to _act_ as a whole. We can accomplish a lot more if we cooperate with one another; our lights will burn brighter and hotter when we are in harmony."

To demonstrate his point, Lucifer conjured five tiny flames in the air directly above Blue. He then drew the flames into the center until they combined, forming a much bigger fire that was more beautiful and manifest than the parts that comprised it. He waved his hand so that the fire will disappear and so that the nest would not be unintentionally burnt.

"More importantly, we are a family. We care about one another; we look after our siblings and our siblings look after us. We teach each other what needs to be understood. In numbers, we strive more, we want to prove that we are worthy to receive such an overwhelming support. Alone, an angel might fail and a mission is forever lost. But with a group, the mission can still be completed." said Lucifer.

He picked up Blue and held the fledgling in front of him. "And in our unity, we show our love." he added. If Gabriel was here, he would be laughing hysterically at how 'mushy' Lucifer had become. Though if he was _indeed_ here, camouflaged somewhere, Lucifer will punch him into the next galaxy.

"We may not always enjoy the company of our brothers and sisters…" As with the case of Gabriel and his annoying, immature habits. "Our affections may not be returned in the way we expected…" As with the case of Raphael and his aloof nature. "And sometimes we may get into quarrels…" As with the ever-obedient and stubborn Michael. "But we are still one family, and there is no changing that."

Lucifer looked down and noted that Blue seemed to be contemplating a subject, or absorbing the words he had uttered. Blue's eyes were filled with something Lucifer cannot identify – was it bewilderment? Was it comprehension? Worry? Anticipation?

Before Lucifer was even aware of it, Blue was endeavoring to fly once more. The fledgling succeeded in getting an inch higher this time, but its energy rapidly drained and Blue plopped back onto Lucifer's waiting hand. Lucifer stroked the edges of Blue's light to comfort it.

"I wish you can already speak. It feels weird with just me talking." he said. "Then again, if you can talk, you might call me boring or sappy. For all I know, you might've been making fun of me this whole time." he joked.

There was no perceptible reaction from Blue, which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Although, a bee was heard buzzing along the shrubs and Blue immediately lit up and followed it. Additionally, Blue was cooing like a dove as it chased the bee, which meant that it had recorded another sound it had heard recently.

"How is it that you find a bee more interesting than your own brother?" said Lucifer in slight irritation. He was an _archangel_ , the brightest out of all of them, and Blue displayed more enthusiasm at a bee. This was degrading. Did he have to clothe himself in black and yellow stripes to become more appealing?

"I can't believe I'm jealous of a bee." Lucifer muttered. He gathered his wounded pride and went after Blue.

Despite Blue's bizarre liking of bees, it was good to see that the fledgling can become happy over something. When Lucifer caught up, he saw that Blue was trying to reach for the bee, albeit what made that more significant was that the first indication of limbs were starting to sprout from Blue's form. Short, shapeless bumps of light that were meant to be arms were jutting out of Blue's outer glow, stretching upward as much as they could to hold the bee. Unluckily, the bee flew higher and further from Blue's extremely limited grasp until vanishing into the forest. Blue's arms fell to its sides in defeat, nearly disappearing as well, but Lucifer could see the merest bulge on Blue's left and right, which assured him that they would be a more permanent presence.

Without warning, rain began to fall over Eden and Lucifer's admiration of his sibling's development was cut short. He got Blue and went in search for shelter, because while this weather was harmless for regular angels, he could not risk a barely-formed fledgling drowning in a raindrop. Exploring the Earth would have to wait.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Blue" is still technically an "it" because Luci's not sure if it's a boy or a girl.


	3. 3rd part

_And I want a moment to be real,_

_Wanna touch things I don't feel,_

_Wanna hold on and feel I belong._

_And how can they say I never change_

_They're the ones that stay the same._

_I'm the one now,_

_'Cause I'm still here._

_._

_I'm Still Here ~ Johny Rzeznik_

* * *

Rain fell over Eden. The fields and the forests that had once been shining vibrantly under the sun were now cloaked in the watery blues and grays of the downpour. Mist was forming in the land's higher regions, and the steady rhythm of droplets pattering on the foliage lulled the animals to a sense of tranquility.

A cave was tucked away behind rows of olive trees, which provided Lucifer with a bit of cover as he stood near its entrance. As an archangel, he did not need to take shelter from the rain, but Blue was still sensitive to the elements, and he would much rather have his sibling in a dry, secured place. After all, given Blue's delicate size, a single raindrop might as well have been a boulder being hurled from the sky. And Lucifer was not sure what a direct contact with water can do to a newly-formed fledgling.

Lucifer held Blue snugly in his hands, and every so often he could feel his sibling twitching underneath, almost as if it was shivering from the cold. He looked up just in time to witness a spectacular bolt of lightning flash and spread across the clouds like electric veins. Moments later, the rumble of thunder filled the air and shook the ground in a way that resembled a heartbeat, and in an instant, it was as if the sky was alive.

Rather than be awed at the sight, Blue shrank further into Lucifer's hands and emitted a wave of fear.

"Shh, it's alright. It's just thunder, nothing to be scared off." cooed Lucifer as he turned himself away from the cave's mouth. "Someday, perhaps, I'll teach you to shoot lightning bolts." he added, smiling at his tiny sibling.

Blue gazed up at him with an unreadable expression.

Smirking, Lucifer took Blue deeper into the cave before any more lightning and thunder occurred. It felt odd navigating his massive form through a cramped space in the earth, but somehow the experience was not as uncomfortable as he had expected. Eventually, Lucifer stopped moving when he encountered a group of dozing cheetahs in the middle of the path.

"It seems like we're not the only ones seeking shelter from the rain." he commented.

One of the cheetahs stirred in its sleep which, in turn, woke up its neighboring kin. The other cheetah then started licking its companion and soon the sound of contented purring could be heard.

"Do you hear that?" Lucifer asked Blue. "It means they're happy with each other's presence."

Since it was impossible for the cheetahs to see them, Lucifer let himself hover over the animals so that Blue can have a better look.

"When you're strong enough, you get to spend plenty of time with our siblings. You'll be safe, warm," Lucifer paused as the cheetahs snuggled closer together. "…cared for."

Blue's form flexed a little in response, as if it was longing to feel the presence of the other angels, or at least the brood of fledglings he had 'hatched' with. Lucifer took a bit of warmth from his Grace and wrapped it around Blue in an unconscious effort of apologizing to his sibling for being abandoned in the first place.

After some time, being stuck in a cave was turning out to be a boring way to spend the rest of the day. Lucifer cupped his hands more securely around Blue before he took flight, out of the cave and onto the stars.

He whizzed past cold raindrops and managed to avoid getting hit with a single speck of water. As he penetrated the clouds, lightning and thunder became more noticeable and frequent occurrences. The winds blew with the force of a hundred angels' wing-beats and Lucifer could let himself believe that, here, the sky was truly, incredibly alive. Unfortunately, this intensified Blue's distress.

"Hold on. We're nearly there." said Lucifer.

He beat his wings faster and, in an instant, he burst out of the thick layer of gray clouds and found himself in the place between the planet Earth and the magnificence of the galaxy. It was like a moment of twilight, when it was neither day nor night but instead something entirely different.

The slight trembling in Lucifer's hands reminded him that he was still holding a panicked fledgling.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for frightening you." Lucifer murmured, trying to calm down his sibling. He gently stroked the edge of Blue's light several times and ultimately succeeded, or at least he hoped he succeeded; it was hard to tell since Blue lacked most facial features.

Regardless, Lucifer was certain that the spectacle in front of them will cheer up his distraught sibling. "Look at where we are." he said, elevating Blue on one hand.

Beyond them was an infinite blackness dotted with an equally infinite number of stars. From this angle, it was almost like staring up at the largest canopy ever created, except the void of space did not quiver like how leaves would when the slightest puff of air went by. However, the stars were always in motion: their lights were constantly swirling and spinning as if they were caught in an eternal dance, pulling rocks and forming planets in a manner similar to calling out partners to join them. Solar systems developed and galaxies grew; colors flared and faded to an impossible beat and everything was just… wonderful.

"It's a marvelous sight, isn't it?" said Lucifer. "And you know what? You're more brilliant than any star." he told Blue, lowering his sibling so that it met his eyes.

Lucifer sought out a cloud to sit on. Technically, it was not necessary; he can remain airborne, completely still, for days if he wanted to, which was ridiculous but could at least do it. The reason for placing himself onto a cloud was to put all his focus on Blue, rather than divide it with anything else, like flying.

"Do you remember the bee you were chasing?" Lucifer asked.

Blue scrunched its face (or what currently represented its face) and emitted a bit of a glow, like what a tiny creature would do to appear larger.

"Yes, it _is_ bigger than you." chuckled Lucifer, although he quickly became serious. "But your mission is more important than the bee's. Your purpose is more significant than any animal, plant, or galaxy that Father has created, or will ever create."

He could be imagining things, but he could have sworn that Blue was tilting its head in confusion.

"You were made to directly serve God, and there is no higher purpose than that." said Lucifer. He stared out at space for a while before returning his attention on Blue.

"I suppose that's our core definition: purpose." he stated. "We all have a part to play in this world, from making sure the flowers bloom to igniting a cosmos."

He paused to let the words sink in. Lucifer briefly wondered what Blue will do when he – or she – matured. Would his sibling gain authority over simple matters, or would Blue surprise everyone by taking on a nearly impossible responsibility? It was hard to imagine the latter given Blue's present fragility, but there was always hope.

As if to prove that point, Blue attempted to fly again. It managed to hover and wobble in the air for about a single heartbeat before clumsily plopping back onto Lucifer's hand.

He smiled. "Most things are fleeting, but not us. We're created to last forever because we have very important things to do in God's overall plan." he said, then softly added, "You're alive for a reason. Never forget that."

There was silence for a moment before it was broken by the sound of purring. It did not take long for Lucifer to realize that it was Blue who was purring and that, again, his sibling was copying animal noises to express itself. Although he was pleased that Blue was putting in effort to communicate, he wished he could hear its true voice.

"Are you kidding me?"

Lucifer did not need to turn around to know that that annoying tone of voice belonged to Gabriel, but he did so anyway.

"What are you doing – ?" he began.

"I'm looking for the great, big, glittery dunderhead who calls himself Lucifer." interrupted Gabriel. "Do you have any idea where I've been trying to find you? And then I see you here nesting on a random-ass cloud – !"

"Watch your language." interjected Lucifer.

Gabriel pulled a face at him. "I don't give a flying crap about my language right now because the big guy's looking for you."

That caused Lucifer to become rigidly still. "God?"

"The _other_ big guy." said Gabriel.

Lucifer remained unmoving as the feeling of elated honor shriveled away like a piece of fruit under a formidable source of heat. Of course the 'other big guy' had something on his mind. He placed Blue onto the cloud before the urge to crush overwhelmed him.

"What does he want?" Lucifer impassively asked.

"You mean besides getting that stick out of his massive – " Gabriel stopped when Lucifer glared at him. "As if Michael trusts me to get my hands on the really juicy info. All I know is that he wants to 'discuss' something with you." he said.

"Just me? What about you and Raphael?" inquired Lucifer.

Gabriel mock-gasped and began wiping imaginary tears out of his eyes. "Aww, someone cares about me!" he said in an exaggeratedly sweet voice.

If it were not for Blue's presence, Lucifer would have punched him to the next continent. "Gabriel, as insufferable as you are, you're still an archangel. Whatever Michael needs to 'discuss,' we should all be present." he unperturbedly stated.

"Nah, I don't really care. It's probably another boring staff meeting, and you remember what happened last time Michael hauled me into one." said Gabriel.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, albeit they both erupted into fits of laughter a short while later at the memory of that one brilliant incident.

"Trust me, I'm better off _outside_ the office." said Gabriel as he composed himself. He looked over Lucifer's wings and noticed Blue. "Hey, you don't think it's about that, do you?" he questioned.

Lucifer spared a glance at Blue, who appeared to be imitating the movement of clouds (which was slightly adorable). "If you told him – "

"I _did not_ tell him! Sheesh, keep your sparkles on." Gabriel remarked.

Sensing that the moment of peace was officially gone, Lucifer scooped Blue up and gave the fledgling to a startled Gabriel. "Take Blue back to my chambers. _No_ side-stops." he ordered.

Gabriel choked back a laugh. "Seriously? You're calling him…" He began turning Blue over in his hands as if their sibling was nothing more than a pebble and Gabriel was trying to pinpoint any distinguishing feature. "…her, it, whatever Blue?" he snickered.

"It's temporary." said Lucifer.

Gabriel was still amused at his lack of creativity. "Oh hey, pick up some new insults from Michael for me, would ya? I'm starting to run out and he thinks up the most creative stuff when he's with you." he said.

That might as well have been his way of saying 'good luck' to him. "Just take Blue home." said Lucifer.

After taking one last look at Blue in Gabriel's hand, Lucifer took off.

 

O_x

This was unbelievable. This was… _unacceptable_!

God was apparently planning on creating a new species – humans – and Lucifer generally had no problem with that. In fact, he delighted in new life. But God wanted the angels, every one of them, to protect the humans and love them more than they will ever love God. The humans, as Michael had briefed him earlier, were going to be immensely flawed and will one day destroy paradise in the midst of their own struggles. What was more, the birth of humanity was to be God's greatest achievement, and the world would be theirs to command. There had been some other details, but they had become lost in a haze of fury.

Lucifer wanted to rip out the core of every sun in the universe.

The reason why Michael had wanted to talk to him alone was because he wanted to know how he would react to the news before announcing it to the others. Michael had thought that if Lucifer embraced the concept of humanity, then their brothers and sisters would easily follow in his belief. Obviously, Michael now had to think of a gentler approach to when he will broadcast it throughout Heaven.

Michael, of course, was not too pleased with God's plan either, but being the sickeningly obedient son that he was, he took it in stride. Lucifer, on the other hand, was absolutely furious.

How could God ask them to do this? How could He ask _him_ to do this? It was not right. He will not stand for such a disgrace!

Seething, he immediately flew to his chambers, knocking several angels in mid-flight along the way. To be honest, he had no clue of the actual extent of damage he caused in such a short span of time, but he did not care. He wanted the entirety of Heaven to know that he was angry.

At least Gabriel would be pleased to hear that his and Michael's recent argument had indeed brought on insults of the highest, most creative degree.

If the doors to his chambers did not serve the purpose of giving him privacy, Lucifer would have annihilated them off their threshold in pure rage. Once he sealed off all the entrances, Lucifer tried to locate the nearest target he could incinerate. His yearning to destroy, however, immediately dissipated when a tiny, practically inconspicuous sound reached him.

"Buh…"

Lucifer scanned the whole area, and his Grace swelled with joy and lit up his form with incredible radiance when his gaze landed on Blue.

"Buh… Buh-rother…"

From the other end of the room, Blue was very shakily floating upward – No, the fledgling was not floating, it was _flying_! Sure enough, the barest impression of wings was visible and they were doing their utmost best to keep Blue in the air.

"Bro-other…" Blue was fluttering its way toward Lucifer. "Love…"

Blue was talking. Blue was talking _and_ flying. This was the most remarkable blessing Lucifer could ever ask for; he almost wanted to weep in sheer gratitude.

He caught Blue just as its strength was beginning to waver. For what felt like forever, Lucifer merely stood in place, holding onto his sibling like he had the most beautiful miracle in his hands. It had only been across the room; nonetheless, that was the longest distance that Blue had conquered without falling. And it had uttered its first words.

Consumed with happiness and the desire to protect, Lucifer held the fledgling even closer. "I love you, too." he murmured.

As he continued to hold his sibling, he could feel a change happening within the small form: a growth, a shift, a spark of higher consciousness… And like the whisper of dawn promising a new day, Lucifer heard Blue's true name.

"I love you, too… Castiel."

He can deal with humanity some other time.

 

O_x

_"Castiel. I don't understand why you're fighting me, of all the angels."_

_"You really have to ask?"_

_"I rebelled, I was cast out._ You _rebelled,_ you _were cast out. Almost all of Heaven wants to see me dead and if they succeed, guess what? You're their new public enemy number one."_

_  
_End.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that finally concludes Notes Tied to Balloons! Thank you once again to everyone who has read this story! Thank you for your support, your words of encouragement, and for sticking with this thing until the very end. It really means a lot to me, and I wish I could hug each one of you but I physically can't, so here's me showering you all with my love and gratitude! And I do apologize for the weeks/months you guys had to wait.
> 
> ANNOUNCEMENT: It's official now. I've decided to make a sorta-sequel for NTTB, featuring the angels that were not given their own stories here: Inias, Hesther, Samandriel, and the rest! I'm still not sure on what the title will be, so don't ask me on what that series will be called (my brain is mush as of the moment).
> 
> Why is it a "sorta-sequel" you ask? Well, after realizing how damn mind-numbingly, insanely, complicated it is to think up of several stories and span them into exactly three chapters, I've decided to shorten the next batch of stories. It would still be like NTTB, but not exactly. Basically, it would just be a collection of one-shots, instead of short multi-chaptered stories. I know it kinda sucks and it's unfairly lazy of me, but there's a buttload of stuff I need to do in the coming months, like make sense of my job (oh hey, I got a job and apparently I have to contribute to this thing called society) and revise my novel for the nth time. I'll still post fanfic but, for now, I don't see myself working on any lengthy fics. Still, you never know!
> 
> In the meantime, look forward to the other angels fledgling!Cas will be interacting with! I already have ideas fleshed out for each of the next angels. Any character/s you guys want to read about? Any suggestions for their stories? Let me know!
> 
> And for the last time, thank you for reading Notes Tied to Balloons.
> 
> PS: I've made a Doctor Who fanvideo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAH-9s1sBZs


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